Well, Kill On Command is pretty bland. In fact some of the songs almost feel like they're trying too hard to appeal to the younger "tuffguy" demographic that Victory Records prides itself in supporting. It's a damn shame since their brand of straightforward death metal seems to be lost amongst the droves of morons jerking off to the next "atmospheric" death metal release.
I'm being a little harsh here. It's not like Jungle Rot was ever the pinnacle of intelligent music to begin with. They've always been knuckle-draggingly stupid, and that was their charm. However Kill On Command features our favorite neanderthals pounding away with little of the enthusiasm which made their previous release solid fun. Tracks like "Blood Ties" are testament to that. Over the sound of the D-beats and hardcore shouts you can hear Jungle Rot's soul slowly being siphoned off to the golden cash cow. There's even a simple, forgettable breakdown in the middle of the song that reeks of that same "tuffguy" stupidity.
There's plenty of thrash influence on this album, perhaps moreso than it's predecessor. Loads of D-beat drumming and shouts fill the album, and as a whole it's a lot more mid-paced than What Horrors Await. There's a few memorable, simple chug-along grooves, notably on "Demoralized," "No Mercy (From The Merciless)," and "Push Comes To Shove," and this is where Jungle Rot shines. Similar to older death metal bands like Obituary and Bolt Thrower, this simple chugging is what makes Jungle Rot so fun. However for a band so centered around riffs and grooves, this album is sorely lacking as a whole. Some tracks like "I Predict A Riot" are utterly forgettable and even after listening to the album a few times I've yet to really recall more than a few likable riffs. The rest seems like mediocre filler. The production is great though. Very meaty and perfect for Jungle Rot's simple breed of death metal. It's just a shame the rest of the album isn't as good as the production, because Jungle Rot is a really cool, old school throwback band. I don't want to put all the blame on Victory either, because a lot of the riffs are just forgettable, and only the band could be at fault for poor songwriting. Oh well I guess.
4.5 out of 10
What Horrors Await is sooo much better in my opinion.
Tracklisting:
1. Their Finest Hour
2. Blood Ties
3. Rise Up & Revolt
4. Kill on Command
5. Demoralized
6. Push Comes to Shove
7. I Predict a Riot
8. No Mercy (from the Merciless)
9. Born of Contagion
10. Life Negated
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